comparison lispref/files.texi @ 51654:24b62b8f3def

Fix minor Texinfo usage. (file-exists-p): Explain handling of directories, symlinks, etc.

51653:a14e8c97cfb9

@cindex file accessibility

  These functions test for permission to access a file in specific ways.

@defun file-exists-p filename
This function returns @code{t} if a file named @var{filename} appears to
exist.  This does not mean you can necessarily read the file, only that
you can find out its attributes.  (On Unix and GNU/Linux, this is true
if the file exists and you have execute permission on the containing
directories, regardless of the protection of the file itself.)

If the file does not exist, or if fascist access control policies
prevent you from finding the attributes of the file, this function
returns @code{nil}.
@end defun

@defun file-readable-p filename
This function returns @code{t} if a file named @var{filename} exists
and you can read it.  It returns @code{nil} otherwise.

@defun file-name-extension filename &optional period
This function returns @var{filename}'s final ``extension,'' if any,
after applying @code{file-name-sans-versions} to remove any
version/backup part.  It returns @code{nil} for extensionless file
names such as @file{foo}.  If @var{period} is non-nil, then the
returned value includes the period that delimits the extension, and if
@var{filename} has no extension, the value is @code{""}.  If the last
component of a file name begins with a @samp{.}, that @samp{.} doesn't
count as the beginning of an extension, so, for example,
@file{.emacs}'s ``extension'' is @code{nil}, not @samp{.emacs}.

51654:24b62b8f3def

@cindex file accessibility

  These functions test for permission to access a file in specific ways.

@defun file-exists-p filename
This function returns @code{t} if a file named @var{filename} appears
to exist.  This does not mean you can necessarily read the file, only
that you can find out its attributes.  (On Unix and GNU/Linux, this is
true if the file exists and you have execute permission on the
containing directories, regardless of the protection of the file
itself.)

If the file does not exist, or if fascist access control policies
prevent you from finding the attributes of the file, this function
returns @code{nil}.

Directories are files, so @code{file-exists-p} returns @code{t} when
given a directory name.  However, symbolic links are treated
specially; @code{file-exists-p} returns @code{t} for a symbolic link
name only if the target file exists.
@end defun

@defun file-readable-p filename
This function returns @code{t} if a file named @var{filename} exists
and you can read it.  It returns @code{nil} otherwise.

@defun file-name-extension filename &optional period
This function returns @var{filename}'s final ``extension,'' if any,
after applying @code{file-name-sans-versions} to remove any
version/backup part.  It returns @code{nil} for extensionless file
names such as @file{foo}.  If @var{period} is non-@code{nil}, then the
returned value includes the period that delimits the extension, and if
@var{filename} has no extension, the value is @code{""}.  If the last
component of a file name begins with a @samp{.}, that @samp{.} doesn't
count as the beginning of an extension, so, for example,
@file{.emacs}'s ``extension'' is @code{nil}, not @samp{.emacs}.